Liquid dispensing apparatus



Aug. 7, 1945. J. A. MERRILL 2,381,304 LIQUID DISPENSIQG APPARATUS Fi-led Aug. .19, 1943 INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEY.

Jose? AMERRILL' 1 be used to designate these gases.

Patented Aug. 7, 1945 LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS Joseph A. Merrill, Winnetkm'llL, assignor to s. F. Bowser & Company, Incorporated, Fort Wayne, Ind, a corporation of Indiana Application August 19, 1943, Serial No. 499,289

6 Claims. (Cl. 129-121) The invention relates to a pressure means for dispensing gasoline from tank trucks. More specifically it relates to an expansible bag placed in a compartment of the delivery truck, into -.which bag gaseous butane or propane is'passed under pressure to'empty the compartment of liquid. The gas is then used as a fuel to operate the truck motor.

In present practice, the liquid is discharged from fuel delivery trucks by gravitational force alone and it is dimcult .tp attain the desired unloading speeds with present gravity apparatus especially since part of the gravity head is used Another object of theinvention is to provide I a compressed liquid tank. from which gas can be controllably released to expand an expansible bag fordisplacing liquid from tank truck. compartments.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ,expansibleand contr'actible bag from which gaseous fuel can be taken to supp engine power to the truck.-

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a selector switch which will allow thetruck engine to be supplied with either a mixture of air and the gaseous fuel or ordinary carbureted gasoline.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide gaseous pressure means for dispensing liquid from tank trucks, and then making practical use of the gas .to propel the trucks.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent upon consideration of the accompanying drawing in which;

The figure is a diagrammatic view taken partially in section, of the tank compartment and bag, gas supply system, and fuel feed systems. The numeral i represents a pressure cylinder gas of a similar nature or mixtures of such gases. In the claims, the term, combustible fuel," shall A manually operated valve 3-can be opened to allow gas to containing liquid propane, butane or aliquifled the battery 44. The armature 52 is connected flow from the cylinder i through a pipe and a .pressure reducing valve 1.

designated generally by the numeral 9. water from the engine water jacket (not shown) is passed through a pump H and a valve to the heat exchanger tank It). This valve 13 is controlled by a solenoid l5 which is attached to a thermostat l1 placed in the heat-exchanger tank and is powered by the battery l2. Thus the water temperature in the heat exchanger 9 is controlled, the gas is uniformly heated and further expanded as it passes through the coil M.

The heated gas then passes through a line l8 in which is inserted a three way valve l9, a pressure relief valve 2|, and into the tank compartment 21 which may be selected by means of selector valve 23. An expansible bag 25, prefer- V ably of synthetic rubber, is disposed in the compartment and is connected to valve 23 by pipe I6. The resilience of the bag tends to oppose expansion, thereby providing pressure means for emitting the fluid contained when the bag is in an expanded state and it is desired to use the fluid as a fuel. The weight of the bag itself provides additional means for the pressure emission of the fluid contained. A discharge opening 28 is formed in the bottom of the compartment. This is connected by a. pipe to an air eliminator 22, a meter 29, a manually operated discharge valve 3| and the delivery hose 24. The

synthetic rubber bag 25, is cemented to the bottom of the compartment 21 except in the region of the discharge opening 28. opening 28 is protected from being clogged with the bag by a baflle plate 33. Each compartment 21, is .provided at the top with a fill opening and an air inlet check valve 31.

The 3 way valve I9 is connected by a pipe 26 to a Venturi gas-air mixer '89 and to the intake manifold ll of the engine through a butterfly valve 41. A normally closed valve 58 which opens to the atmosphere, is placed in the pipe 26 near the Venturi mixer 39 which serves to mix gas and air in such proportions as to produce explosive charges for an internal combustion engine.

,A selector switch 43 connects a battery 44 through contact 46 with a solenoid 45. A second solenoid l8, which is opposed to splenoid 45 is connected through switch 43 and contact 5!) to 54. Both valves are operated simultaneously so as to open either the gas passage or the regular gasoline entrance to the manifold ll and to close the 'other.

The" regular gasoline tank 49, is connected by Hot v The discharge a pipe 56 to the valve 54 through the fuel pump and the carburetor 53.

O ation buretor 53. Upon arrival the valve 3 on the cylinder is opened and the pressure reducing valve 1 delivers gas at approximately 4 p. s. i. gage to the compartment 2! selected by valve 23. The discharge valve 3| is opened and the liquid is metered from the compartment. When the compartment is emptied, the selector switch 43 is then adjusted to engage contact 46. This energizes solenoid 45, opens valve 41 and closes valve 54, and the three-way valves l9 and are then changed to permit flow from the bag 25 into the manifold 4|. The truck'may then be driven, powered by the gas,'to its next stopping point. When it is desired to again load the compartments with gasoline, any excess gas may be passed to a safe place of disposal through valve 58 or the engine maybe left running until the gas is exhausted.

The liquid dispensing may be accomplished through the use of gases other than those of the combustible type as herein described. If C02, N2 or other inert and non-combustible gases are used, the apparatus beyond the three-way valve IS (the Venturi-mixer etc.) which permits power utilization of the combustible gases would be discarded. Then three-way valve I9 would be employed to allow flow to either the gas bag 25, or through pipe 26 to the atmosphere.

It is obvious that various changes maybe made in the form, structure and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, applicant does not desire to be limited to the specific embodiment disclosed herein primarily for purposes of illustration; but instead, he desires protection falling fairly within the scope of'the appended claims.

What applicant claims to be new and desires to protect by Letters Patent of the United .States is:

1. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a cylinder containing combustible fuel, a liquid compartment, an expansible resilient bag in said compartment adapted to receive vaporized combusti ble fuel from said cylinder providing means for effecting pressure delivery of liquid from said compartment, a device adapted to utilize said combustible fuel, and means for connecting said device at will to said bag.

2. In adevice of the character described, a cylinder containing combustible fuel under pressure, means for vaporizing said fuel, a resilient bag adapted to receive said vaporized fuel under pressure, from said cylinder, an internal combustion engine, means for conducting vaporized fuel from said bag to said engine, and means for connecting said bag with either said cylinder or with said conducting means.

3. In a device of the character described, a cylinder containing combustible fuel under pressure, means for vaporizing said fuel, a resilient bag adapted to receive said vaporized fuel under pressaid compartment adapted to receive the vaporsure, from said cylinder, an internal combustion engine, means for conducting vaporized fuel from said bag to said engine, and means for connecting said bag with either said cylinder or with said conducting means, a source of combustible gasoline vapor and manually selective means for connecting said engine with said conducting means" or said source of gasoline vapor.

4. In a device of the character described, a cylinder containing combustible fuel under pressure, a valve providing manually controllable means for expanding and vaporizing said fuel from said cylinder, automatic means for regulating the temperature of said vaporized fuel, a liquid compart- .ment, means for forcibly dispensing liquid from said compartment comprising a resilient bag in ized fuel under pressure from said cylinder, said bag also providing means by its natural contraction for dispensing said vaporized fuel, an internal combustion engine, means for conducting vaporized fuel to said engine, means for selectively connecting said bag with either said cylinder or said conducting means, a source of gasoline vapor and manually selective means for connecting said engine with either said conducting means or said source of gasoline vapor.

5. In a liquid dispensing apparatus, a liquid i compartment, an inwardly opening check valve, a

normally closed fill opening, and a discharge opening disposed in said compartment, a source of fluid under pressure, means for forcibly dis pcnsing liquid from said compartment comprising a resilient bag in said compartment, means connecting said bag to receive gaseous fluid under pressure from said fluid source, a device for consuming said fluid, means for connecting said bag at will to said device whereby fluid will flow to said device under pressure afforded by the resilient bag.

6. In a device of the character described, a 

